Companies in Telford, Shropshire and Herefordshire are set for an ‘advanced manufacturing’ boost, with In-Comm Training set to bring a new robotic automation cell online. The leading independent training provider, which opened its Telford Technical Academy just over a year ago, is investing more than £200,000 through the Local Skills Improvement Fund (LSIF) and the Marches Education Partnership into creating a dedicated seven-axis robotic training capability that will help local firms looking to upskill or re-skill workers.

Hundreds of individuals will now have access to robotic programming, maintenance and automation courses that will give them the skills they need to help their employers take advantage of new opportunities in a variety of industrial sectors including automotive, aerospace, electrification, and renewables.

Recognising ever-changing technical skills needs identified in the Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP), In-Comm Training has joined forces with Telford-based Bauromat to design the robotic automation line and will unveil it at an Automate your Productivity event next Wednesday (6th March). You can book a place at the event by going to here.

Gareth Jones, managing director at In-Comm Training, said: “There has been a massive rise in the number of advanced manufacturing companies locating and expanding in the Marches and we need to ensure they have access to specialist training that meets their evolving skills requirements. Our role as a provider with The Marches Education Partner is to deliver the robotics, maintenance, and automation offer so crucial to helping companies gain new competences, efficiencies, increase capacity, boosts to productivity and unlock recruitment issues.”

Growing discipline
He continued: “There is restricted training provision currently available in the area that covers this growing discipline, so we have used the expertise of Bauromat to come up with a solution that will give learners access to technology that is being used on shopfloors now and in the future.”

Installation of the robotic and automation cell is currently underway and will be completed by May, providing learners with access to a Kuka robot and a single servo-powered head and tailstock positioner. It also features an integrated Siemens PLC control system and a ‘state of the art’ ESAB MIG welding power source, all fully integrated in a Kyrus guarding enclosure.

The latest addition to the Telford facility will help existing engineers upskill or reskill in a new engineering discipline, providing companies with a more agile workforce and one that is prepared for the move to more automation and digital transformation.

The focus will be on delivering three Level 3 courses in Industrial Robot Technology, Principles of Robotics, Programming of Robotics, offline simulation, and a Level 4 course in Industrial Robotics. Engineers will learn how to interact with PLCs, perform essential maintenance and automate production lines, whilst also touching on competence elements of fluid power, hydraulics, and pneumatics.

Mr Jones added: “We have got a special event next week where we can give businesses a ‘sneak peek’ of development work to date and explore some of the ways where we can help them automate to improve their productivity. There will also be a session on modularised maintenance courses that have been designed by industry for industry. Furthermore, it doesn’t have to be massive investment in automation either. Embracing the right technology and upskilling staff can be a cost-effective first step and very quickly gives you a return on investment.”